Cassville community members share New Year's resolutions

With the start of a new year, many people take the opportunity to make resolutions for change in their personal and professional lives.

The top 10 resolutions across the nation are:

1. To spend more time with family and friends.

2. Exercise more.

3. Lose weight.

4. Quit smoking

5. Enjoy life more.

6. Quit drinking.

7. Get out of debt.

8. Learn something new.

9. Help others.

10. Get organized.

In many ways, Cassville citizens are no different than their more cosmopolitan colleagues.

Landon Fletcher, vice president of First State Bank, picked the number one resolution on the list.

"To spend more time with family and friends," Fletcher said.

Gary Youngblood, Barry County Clerk, said he doesn't bother to make resolutions.

"I have so many areas I have to resolve, I don't dwell on just one," he said.

Bill Shiveley, CEO and general manager at Barry Electric, joins Youngblood in his resolution-free attitude.

"My resolution is to not make any New Year's resolutions," Shiveley said.

Linda Parker, administrator at Cassville Senior Center, makes up for Shiveley and Youngblood by making several vows this year.

"To try and send everyone who has not been to the Senior Center in a long time an invitation to join us for lunch," Parker said. "I also want to have a bigger duck race this year."

And perhaps most admirable of all, Parker has one final vow for 2011.

"To help someone every day," she said.

Kathy White, director of the Barry County Museum, makes the same vow every year.

"I realize that even though I always start the year with the hope of getting more organized, it always seems that because of 'too many irons in the fire' my resolution falls by the wayside," White said. "This year I've decided that I will start out with the same resolution, but because I'm an addictive list maker, my resolution will fall further and further down my perpetual list. When it does finally fall off my list - because I know it will - I will accept it and go on; I realize that the reasons it will fall off the list will be more important that the resolution itself."

Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly said he doesn't make resolutions either but does have a few wishes on his list for the coming year.

"I just hope for a good year and that the economy turns around," Epperly said. "I would like to get my deputies a raise. They risk a lot for no more than they get paid. To get them raises would be a happy moment in my life."

And from those of us at the Cassville Democrat, whether you decide to make a vow this year or bypass the tradition all together, we wish each and every one of our loyal readers happiness, health and prosperity in 2011.